REVIEW - KHROMA BEAUTY - Joystick

We all know who the Kardashian's are, don't we? If you are one of the people who really don't know who they are, then I think you may be living under a rock! They are famous for being famous and not really doing anything really, but have their lives documented by the paparazzi! What a life! Really!

Yes, I'm jealous.....I'm not famous (nor do I want to be)...and I'm not RICH, but damn do I WISH I would be!

This blog is not about the Kardashian's personal lives...but it is about their beauty line - KHROMA BEAUTY!

This is my review on their Joystick Lipsticks.  I have the colour in "Shocking Pink".  This seriously gives you a WOW FACTOR to your lips.

Let's discuss the PACKAGING FIRST.  It's in a slim twist up pen package, which in my opinion is extremely convenient for placing in your purse, even those small clutches that us gals like toting around on a night out.  At the end of the pen it displays the colour of the lipstick, which is great for when you want to see your colour at a quick glance.  The tip is dome shape and makes for easy application on the lips. No need for lip liner with this puppy!

FORMULATION:  This is a creamy formula that glides on the lips smoothly and effortlessly. The pigmentation is outstanding.  You get that POP OF COLOUR with only one application.   The formula is a satin to matte finish, however, this does not feel drying on the lips. It definitely is not ultra matte at all!

STAYING POWER: This lipstick will stay on your lips for several hours until you need to reapply.

SCENT: Smells like Vanilla Candy!!! Yum....I crave sweets whenever I open this lipstick up...it smells so scrumptious.  If you are not into sweet smelling lip products...you will probably not like this!

COLOURS AVAILABLE: 8 colours are available

WHERE CAN I BUY THESE LOVELIES?

ULTA ONLINE AND IN STORES:
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5180513#sku2255153

KMART

PRICE: $8.99 USA

CONCLUSION:
With any good review you must come to a final conclusion as to what this product means to you...in this case for me! Well, I'm totally loving this product.  I plan on purchasing a few more colours because they are truly a fabulous lipstick for a reasonable price.  I give this product a 9 out of 10...and the reason that it only gets a 9 and not a 10 is that the Kardashian's need to provide us with more beautiful shades and make them more readily available to everyone.

MY LIPS IN SHOCKING PINK!

THE END - Please feel free to SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG...MORE REVIEWS TO COME and COMMENT!

Lots of love and hugs to you fabulous people! xxxx

Pebbles

Gift from Subscriber - Kelly McKelly

Pssst.....have you heard what's Buzzzing around????

What is all this Buzzing about?  Well, everyone is talking about it. Are you in the NOW? Are you part of the Buzz Party? Well, get off that couch, put down the remote control, and get busy, buzz, buzz, buzzing about your favourite products, beauty, food, health care, oral care, and so much more!

I just joined BzzAgent.com  What is this you ask? Well, hang in here and I'll tell you all about it. 

FIRST IT'S FREE TO JOIN.

SECOND YOU FILL OUT A BUNCH OF SURVEYS.

THIRDLY YOU WAIT FOR A CAMPAIGN.

ONCE YOU GET INVITED TO A CAMPAIGN IF YOU LIKE IT, YOU ACCEPT. BUZZ AGENT WILL SEND YOU THE PRODUCTS TO TEST, ENJOY AND THEN YOU BUZZ ABOUT IT, BY BLOGGING, FACEBOOKING, TWEETING, YOUTUBE...AND GET THE WORD OUT..THERE ARE SEVERAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES TO PERFORM AND THE MORE YOU COMPLETE THE BETTER YOU WILL GET INVITED TO MORE CAMPAIGNS.

Connecting people and their favourite brands since 2001, BzzAgent is the leading social marketing company. They put products in the hands of hundreds of thousands of real consumers and help them share their opinions about them with friends and family via reviews, Facebook posts, photos and videos, blog posts and more.

With insights from over 400 million shoppers around the world, BzzAgent delivers precise targeting and a powerful social engagement platform to turn customers into influential brand advocates. People who participate in BuzzAgent are highly active in social media, they love to talk about brands and recommend products, they create and share more brand content than the average consumer and, well, people listen to them.

MY FIRST CAMPAIGN - CREST PRO HEALTH CARE

 The Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste is a nice formulation. It is very smooth and clear when brushing. It is not gritty and it isn't a thick paste that fills.  It leaves your teeth feeling so clean and fresh, just like you visited the dentist.  As far as an improvement with whitening, I did not notice any difference, however, it did leave my teeth glistening.

 I really enjoyed the Crest Pro-Health Mouth Wash.  It is alcohol free and doesn't burn your mouth.  It had a fresh taste that you could actually gargle for 30 seconds.  It helps with plaque so if you are like me and are not a big fan of flossing, this really helps get the nasty tastes out of your mouth and leaves your breath fresh for hours. I highly recommend!

Oral B Pro-Health Toothbrush has a nice handle to grip. It's a non-slip grip. The bristles really reach the back of your mouth to reach those hard to get places.  I noticed a massaging feeling from this brush.  The bristles were smooth and effective but not harsh on the gums. You gotta get this one for sure!



Seasons Box - Get in Touch with Nature - July 2013

With summer in full bloom there is no better time to pull back your hair and enjoy the outdoors, which is why the July SeasonsBox is packed with must-haves for the perfect summer date with nature.  From mud masks to after sun treatments, the July Seasons Box makes every encounter with wilderness more eco-friendly and fun.

This is a monthly subscription: Fee: $29.95++

Seasons Box is basically wellness box that doesn't only promote beauty products that are Vegan, Natural, Organic, but also Health Snacks, Eco Friendly home products, such as candles, umbrellas, hair accessories, just to name a few. 

This month we received:

Pura Vida Hippie Hair Ties
Accessories are hand crafted by skilled craftsmen in Costa Rica.  Pura Vida is also a member of Once Percent for the Planet and donates a portion of its proceeds to the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots foundation dedicated to cleaning up beaches and oceans around the world.

Earth Pure Aloe Vera Skin Treatment
Ideal for after a day in the sun, aloe face treatments reduce wrinkles and create fresher looking appearance to the face.  It oxygenates skin cells with increases the skins strenthoskin tissue, removing dead skin cells and increasing longevity of sun tans.  This cream is a white cream, that is smooth and light with a very light clean scent.

Bella Organics Dead Sea Mineral Mud Mask
Who said getting dirty wasn't fun!  Mud from the dead Sea is very rich in minerals that are known for beautifying and healing the skin.  When the mask dries, toxins that may be present in your skin cells are drawn out.  Makes the skin feel clean and refreshed instantly.  Complete without any additives or fillers and works on all skin types.

Wild Mountain Raw Foods Snack Pack

Get in touch with your wild side! This gourmet vegan snack celebrates the connection between personal health and wild lands. So alive and colourful, this snack is sure to give you a surge of energy when you need it most.  Wild plants are an excellent source of nutrients and eating raw is healthier because heating foods diminishes and destroys living enzymes that aid and speed up digestion.  Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, Ginger and raw cashews.

Nibnaks
This super healthy and delicious fruit snack is a handful of goodness. With perfectly measured serving sizes Nibnaks is the perfect treat to pack for an outdoor adventure.  Their snacks are gluten free, 100% natural and high in fiber.  They also source from local family-run farms in California.

Natural Deordorant Review - Crawford Street Brand

TO GO NATURAL OR NOT

Many of us wonder what kind of damage we are doing by using deodorants.  Of course studies show that our traditional deodorants have harmful chemicals and basically we are placing these products under our arms where we have vital lymph nodes.  Not so smart!

So recently, I received a natural deodorant in my Seasons Box.  Which is a monthly Well Being Subscription Box, where they send products on a monthly basis, full size to their subscribers that are all natural, environmentally friendly, etc.

I was very excited to have received the "Crawford Street Lemon Deodorant Cream" in my recent box.  I had heard good things about this product and thought that this would be my chance to finally use a "healthier product" as a deodorant.

CRAWFORD STREET SKIN CARE
www.crawfordskincare.com

* Located in Toronto, Ontario - this is so exciting that this company is local and Canadian! yeah!

Product Description:
This citrus scented cream deodorant is completely natural and it works! It includes over ten essential oils that are deodorising, antibacterial and anti fungal. No aluminium, no parabens, no yellow shirt stains!

Retail: $12.00 for 2 fl. oz. or 60ml

Ingredients: Cetearyl alcohol, Sodium Cetearyl sulfate, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), Theobro ma cacao (Cocoa butter), Sodium bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Citrus limonum (Lemon) oil and other essential oils.

HOW TO APPLY:  With fingers. You only require a dime size amount for each underarm. Apply in circular motion and cover all the underarm area.   Apply to clean dry skin.

THE REVIEW ON THIS PRODUCT:
The cream is firm at the beginning, however, it is very pliable and easily rubs into skin.  It has a nice consistency and texture. It smells lemon fresh. When placed under the arm it is not greasy or sticky and does not leave any residue on clothing. 

CON:  Unfortunately for me, it caused a really bad irritation under my underarms. They became very discoloured. They were not itchy, however, the underarm area did change in colour to a very dark discolouration.  At first I thought that this was the toxins from my regular deodorant coming out, but after 5 weeks of using this product and the discolouration not subsiding, I stopped using it.

RESULTS AFTER NOT USING PRODUCT: My skin went back to it's normal colour after 4 days.  I no longer have the discolouration under my underarms.

RECOMMENDATION: Use at your own discretion.  This product has received fabulous reviews from many other Bloggers and unfortunately for me, it was a bust! 

 ABOVE PHOTO - DISCOLOURATION OF UNDERARM AREA AFTER USE OF PRODUCT

I hope this product works for you. Good luck and thank you for reading my humble Blog.

 

 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR ITALIAN VEGETABLE GARDEN

In a true Italian fashion, I have to have a vegetable garden. Growing up Italian meant that you didn't buy your fruits and vegetables at Commisso's or No Frills in the summer....that would be ONE OF THE GREATEST ITALIAN SINS! Everyone, if you were a TRUE ITALIAN had or has a vegetable garden, and some fruit trees in their backyards. Keep in mind, you need an apple tree, a pear tree, a cherry tree, and yes a plum tree....I failed at this task...no fruit trees for me!

Growing up, I envied my english friends....they had inground or above ground pools, ornate swing sets, complete with monkey bars and teeter totters, and some had trampolines.  But me, I had the vegetable garden.  My leverage, I could offer them a fresh tomato or cucumber to entice them to play in my backyard.

Alas, we warp speed ahead...46 years later...I now am the proud owner of my own vegetable garden.  But with said ownership, comes ALOT OF WORK!  Mamma and Pappa didn't really share that part with us...they were out there every night, weeding, watering, tending to the fruit of their labours.....INFORMATION THAT I COULD HAVE USED!  Because, like an addictive drug, the Italian Garden, lures you in....the idea of fresh tomatoe sauce, cucumber salad, beans that only come from the seeds imported from Italy 50 years ago....oh, my...how could we relinquish this tradition....WE CAN'T. The Italian Garden calls to you like a street walker calls out to the man walking down the street, like candy calls out to the fat lady, like catnip calls out to the kitty cats, like crack cocaine...the Italian Garden is an addiction that is very hard to resist.

So now, I find myself needing to repair the exterior barrier wall to the inevitable garden of love.  This past weekend, old lumber was pulled out, dirt was dug, and engineering was done!  Check below to see how our project "THE ITALIAN GARDEN REPAIR" went.

First you need to buy fresh railroad ties...lengths depend on your dimensions...luckily my garden is
8'x8'.  We built our walls 3 tiers on each side, so we purchased 12 posts in total.

You will also require 2' rebar to anchor the lumber into the ground and secure it so they don't move.

Next step is to remove the old railroad ties (if you have them) from your garden.  Hence, the rot!

 Not too rotted!

You are going to want to move the dirt to the middle of the garden so you can dig a ditch to place your first railroad tie onto the ground.

 

You are going to drill into each piece two holes, one at each end, the same width as the rebar, perhaps a slightly smaller.  Remember to make your holes at least 12" inward from each side to make sure to have enough enforcement.

  Then you are going to pound the rebar into the ground about 15 inches deep. Once all pieces are in, you slide each tie over the rebar.  If you look at the pic below, you will see the rebar sticking up enough to accommodate the width of 3 pieces of lumber

First layer done!

Second Layer Done!

 Third Layer Done!

All done and secured...those ties are not going to go anywhere...and best part NO NAILS REQUIRED.  Drilling the lumber prevents splitting.  Nails eventually will cause the lumber to split lengthwise and seen in my old lumber pieces.

Last step is to flatten the dirt and make it even!

 

This project was really well constructed and executed. Now all that's left to do is to add manure and peat moss to the garden to ensure the soil is enriched nutrients to yield a great ITALIAN VEGETABLE GARDEN!

 

I hope you enjoyed this blog.  A special THANK YOU goes out to my boyfriend, Brian Kita for an amazing job.  He is not Italian, he does have the genes of a POLISH man....but he rocked this out like any old Italian would! Now he has the lovely task of toiling the soil! Yeah, that will be his on his May "honey do" list...

 

Thank you for reading my humble blog!

 

Ciao for now and happy gardening!

 

xxxx

How To Save Your Broken Eyeshadows and Blushes - SO EASY - DIY!

So how many of you have broken an eyeshadow and decided it was destined for the garbage....I have!

Well, this blog is to help you save those poor eyeshadows from a doomed life in the deep dark shallows of the garbage, as well as save you money on repurchasing the same item.

This technique is so easy and will totally change your life! It did mine! I have demonstrated in my video how to restore a broken eyeshadow, however the same technique will work on broken blushes and bronzers.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

All the broken pieces of your eyeshadow/blush
Rubbing Alcohol - the higher the level of alcohol the quicker the drying time will be
A knife or similar to break down your product
A small bowl

You can watch my video below to view how this is done, or if you just want to read the instructions, here is what you need to do:

Make sure to sanitize all your tools prior to using on your product for sanitary reasons.  You do not want to get dirt or bacteria into your product.

1. Put all the broken pieces of your product in a small bowl
2. Take your knife, spoon, or stick and chop all the larger products into small pieces so all the product is similar size.  You are going to want to finely mill the product for easy mixing and distribution.  This technique works best if all pieces are similar size
3. Take some rubbing alcohol and pour into the product, slowly, you want to add small amounts.  You can always add more alcohol as needed.  You are trying to achieve a thick, muddy consistency that is pliable
4. Make sure to clean all your pot that you are returning your product into.
5. Pour your mixture back into its original pot or container.
6. Tap the container on the table to level the product.
7. Let dry for about an hour
8. Take a clean cloth or you can use a paper towel and wet it with water or some of the rubbing alcohol.
9. Place on top of the product and press down really hard to stamp the product and make sure all the particles are pressed down securely to ensure it is all solid.
10. Let dry - typically I would wait until the next day to use your product

It's that easy, and VOILA! you have saved your favourite eyeshadow from the depths of the almighty garbage can!

I hope this helps you out...check out my video below for a full demonstration!

Thank you for reading my humble blog!

Ciao for now!